Somewhere between the 20th century bank ATM and the 25th century Tricorder, lays the EMR that we should have today. Somewhere between the government-designed meaningful use EMR and the holographic doctor in Star Trek, there should be a long stretch of disposable trial-and-error cycles of technology, changing and morphing from good to better to magical. For this to happen, we must release the EMR from its balls and chains.
We must ...
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The electronic medical record (EMR)'s promised contribution to health care cost savings got a second look recently, and the results were poor at best. But what I found interesting was the "second look" was from the same organization that did the first look: the corporately-funded, non-profit think-tank called the RAND Corporation. From their second and more recent report:
A team of RAND Corporation researchers projected in 2005 that rapid ...
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1. Afib Linked to Cognitive Decline. Atrial fibrillation carries a significant risk for cognitive decline, even when stroke is not involved.
2. C-Section Rates Vary Widely. Cesarean delivery rates ranged from as low as 7% to as high as 70% at U.S. hospitals.
3. Many Docs Miss Test Results in VA's EHR. ...
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Ok, I’ll admit it: I had no idea. I thought that the whining and griping by other doctors about EMR was just petulance by a group of people who like to be in charge and who resist change. I thought that they were struggling because of their lack of insight into the real benefits of digital records, instead focusing on their insignificant ...
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My cardiologist recommended I get a stress echocardiogram so he could rule out the cause of some new symptoms. After I had scheduled the test, I realized that some of my other doctors should have a record of this test. But whose scope of concern would include these troubling symptoms? Probably at least three of them: my primary care physician, my survivorship ...
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Right now, the technology exists to completely transform healthcare.
A doctor should be able to walk into the room where a patient is waiting for them and get everything they need to make an informed decision about that patient’s care.
Location-based technology should sense the doctor approaching and already know which patient is waiting for them. A computer or a tablet in the room should have access to thousands of data points ...
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There are an estimated 15,000 medical apps presently on the market and is expected to grow 25% per year according to one study. There are issues which are common in the development of these apps and other categories of apps. However, some technical and non-technical issues are unique to the sector. As someone who does not design apps, I will ...
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I recently read an article on the RAND Corporation’s analysis of electronic health records (EHRs). As a practicing pediatrician currently using EHRs, and given the reality that EHRs are still a relatively new addition to the U.S. medical profession and have created a fundamental shift to the care delivery process, I am compelled to respond to assertions made in this article.
The first RAND study, sponsored by a ...
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Office-based medical practice is changing fast. The government is providing incentives to those practices that use electronic prescribing and electronic records systems and will soon penalize those that don't. Health reform will shortly deliver many newly insured patients to your office. A host of new patient care models aimed at making healthcare more team-based are emerging. Reimbursement tied to outcomes will demand a greater level of patient management and engagement ...
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The X-Files fans will remember the poster that Agent Mulder had on his bulletin board with a picture of a flying saucer and the words, “I want to believe.” That’s how I feel reading EMR notes sometimes. I want to believe, but I doubt.
I know how this happens. The EMR vendor, the practice implementation team and the doctor have a meeting to develop the “normal” template for a hospital admission ...
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-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
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